


Warriors of the Forest

by Little_Brookie



Series: The World of Warriors [1]
Category: Warriors - Erin Hunter
Genre: Cats, F/M, Forbidden Love, POV First Person, POV Original Character
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-19
Updated: 2018-09-14
Packaged: 2019-06-07 01:08:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,091
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15207485
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Little_Brookie/pseuds/Little_Brookie
Summary: Willowsnow is the current medicine cat of MeadowClan. Even as a kit, Willowsnow was interested in becoming a medicine cat over being a warrior. Though her mentor is a stubborn old tom, Willowsnow never even gave it much thought. It certainly surprised some cats, though...





	1. Chapter 1

I lay near my mother. I was the first to open my eyes. My two sisters and brother still hadn’t opened their eyes yet. Frostkit had slightly thicker fur like me, but she was an orange-and-white tabby. Mistykit has thin fur, like our mother and Chestnutkit, but she was a white tabby with small orange and black spots here and there. Then there is my brother, Chestnutkit, was a black tabby with a white muzzle and underbelly. Chestnutkit and Mistykit are the only two that had thin fur while Frostkit and I had slightly thicker fur.

I could tell that it was way past dawn. My mother, Pebblefern, and Spottedfleck were the first two queens to be up. I wanted to explore the Clan I was born into, but Pebblefern wanted me to stay inside the nursery for the time being, which I wasn’t entirely sure why. Unfortunately there were no other kits in the nursery for me to play with. Rainkit, Stumpykit, Wolfkit, and Ravenkit were the only kits in the nursery, but they kinda scare me. Especially Wolfkit. I didn’t like the fact that I was stuck in the nursery as I wanted to explore. I think mom could tell that I was getting a little antsy to go outside. But, while I was standing up, Chestnutkit and Frostkit both opened their eyes.

I gasped, happily. “Oh, joy!” I said. I noticed that Frostkit had unusual dark green eyes, while Chestnutkit had blue eyes.

“Huh,” Spottedfleck tilted her head, sounding a little confused. “I’m surprised that Frostkit has…Green eyes, Pebblefern.”

“She must have gotten them from me,” Pebblefern stated. I guess she was kind of right, has she does have odd eyes of blue and green. “I know my father had green eyes as well, but not this dark.”

“Welcome, young ones,” Hollyriver said, soothingly, ignoring Pebblefern’s and Spottedfleck’s confusion of Frostkit’s eyes. Hollyriver padded over to us, sitting. “I can see a bit of your father in you both.”

I lowered my ears. Hollyriver was a light brown tabby she-cat. She is the mother of Wolfkit and Ravenkit. Her mate, as far as I overheard, drowned by fighting a PondClan warrior, though I never heard any cat say what his name was. She never actually liked our father, Weaselfoot, as he wasn’t born a MeadowClan warrior. He was from ForestClan. I can already tell that she wasn’t going to like me, whether or not I became a warrior or medicine cat.

“Hollyriver,” Spottedfleck growled a little as she spoke. “Don’t go talking about Weaselfoot behind his back, even if it’s a hint, bringing it up towards his kits. If you don’t have anything good to say about your Clanmate, don’t say it.”

Hollyriver hissed at her. I looked at my mother. “Can I go outside and play?” I asked Pebblefern.

She sighed. “Yes, you may, but don’t go too far from the nursery, okay? And take Frostkit and Chestnutkit with you.”

“Okay,” I said as I padded out of the nursery. Chestnutkit and Frostkit were even allowed too, which they followed me out. I spotted Rainkit and Stumptkit playing with Ravenkit and Wolfkit. By the time Chestnutkit, Frostkit, and I came out, Rainkit and Stumpykit were the first two that came to us. Ravenkit and Wolfkit looked at us in disgust.

“First time you been out of the nursery,” Rainkit purred. “Mistykit still hasn’t opened her eyes?”

“Not yet,” Chestnutkit shook his head. “She’ll probably open her eyes later on.”

“Would you like to be shown around?” Stumpykit asked. His eyes shown as if he was excited that we were outside of the nursery. “Or play with us?”

I turned my head in time to see a grey tabby tom leave a den. Chestnutkit and Frostkit went to go play as I lingered. Rainkit called back towards me, but I told her that I was fine. Wolfkit and Ravenkit weren’t too happy to have Frostkit and Chestnutkit join their game, and left to do something else. My attention on them was short, as the grey tabby tom came back to the den. I padded up to the den and peeked my head through. It smelled a lot like herbs and honey.

“May I help you?” The tom asked, his back towards the den entrance. He looked slimmer than the rest of the Clan. I wondered if he was eating as much.

“I was, uh…Curious,” I responded. Truly I was. As I slowly made my way in, I heard Chestnutkit, Frostkit, Stumpykit, and Rainkit all greet Mistykit. “I’d like to…”

“Can you not see I am busy,” the tom turned his head in my direction so fast that I almost tripped over my own paws. “A kit like you shouldn’t be in here.”

“I’m not interested in playing,” I protested. “I am more interested in what you’re doing!”

“No,” he said firmly as he pushed me out of the den. “I might allow if I wasn’t so busy!”

As I turned back, I heard a she-cat’s voice, turning my head to see Fawnstar. I ran back to the nursery, to only see Pebblefern, Hollyriver, and Spottedfleck pad out. Fawnstar was calling all her Clanmates in for some reason, though I soon found out by Spottedfleck that Wolfkit, Ravenkit, Rainkit, and Stumpykit might be becoming apprentices. I looked up at Pebblefern, not wanting to go back into the nursery, was sitting slightly further away from the entrance of the nursery with Mistykit, Frostkit, and Chestnutkit settling down beside her.

I eventually took my spot beside Frostkit and watched. The whole ceremony was simple, but long as there were four cats Fawnstar had to get to. Fawnstar started with Wolfkit after calling upon SpiritClan to look upon the four cats in front of her. But by the time Fawnstar got to the name change, I already knew I wasn’t going to like Ravenkit and Wolfkit. Wolf _paw_ was apprenticed to Hawktail, Raven _paw_ was apprenticed to Nightflight, Rainpaw was apprenticed to Greyspot, and Stumpypaw was apprenticed to Grasspetal. Wolfpaw and Ravenpaw acted so entitled that they started to protest who they are apprenticed to. Because they were so _strict_ and so _demanding._ Stumpypaw and Rainpaw was more graceful and accepting that they never said anything bad other than “when do we start training?”

“Seems like your kits are acting like entitled warriors,” Spottedfleck pointed out. “I wonder where they get it from…”

I could tell she was being sarcastic, despite the fact that I was only a kit. Even for me, I guessed that even Hollyriver acted entitled. I didn’t feel comfortable being next to Hollyriver, but I was glad that Spottedfleck was between us and Hollyriver. Hollyriver gave Spottedfleck a nasty glare and I thought Spottedfleck was going to lose her pelt. I held my breath, not even realizing that I was until I could hold it any longer.

“You bashing me?” Hollyriver hissed. “Do you know who I am?"

“Are you really going to bash me?” Hollyriver hissed. “My own Clanmate? Who do you know who I am?”

“A liar,” Spottedfleck responded, “and quite harshly verbal, Hollyriver.”

Hollyriver hissed at her to the point where Weaselfoot and a brown tabby tom heard and padded over to break Spottedfleck and Hollyriver before Hollyriver done something regrettable. I was pressed against Pebblefern’s flank that I didn’t realize that I was pressing against her too much. She was silent for the whole thing, and I was wondering why she didn’t step in. Spottedfleck took risks when it came to Hollyriver, I guess.

When Hollyriver left, Spottedfleck stayed near the nursery. The brown tabby, Spottedfleck’s mate I presumed, sat next to her. “You okay?”

Spottedfleck purred. “You don’t need to worry about me, Mothsong.”

Mistykit, Chestnutkit, and Frostkit went to play, though a little disappointed now that Stumpypaw and Rainpaw aren’t going to play with them anymore. Pebblefern nudged me to go to play with my littermates as she talked to Spottedfleck, Weaselfoot, and Mothsong. But I was more tempted to talk to that tom again that I really didn’t want to play.

***

It’s been at least three moons. I kept bothering Otterscar to the point where he put up with it. I learned quite a bit from him too, though I was three moons away from becoming an apprentice. I was hoping that I might eventually become a medicine cat, but I didn’t see that as possible.

“And what’s this?” I asked, pawing at the blue colored berries.

“Juniper berries,” Otterscar stated, again not looking back at me. “Is this really you want to be?”

“Of course,” I purred. “This is actually really interesting. A lot more interesting than wanting to become a warrior.”

Otterscar was silent for a moment. Though he was a stubborn old tom, I refused to really notice his sarcasm at times. Though I was only three moons, I began to understand him a little more. This silence probably was him thinking.

“Willowkit,” I heard Pebblefern call to me. “Come out of there, let Otterscar be. I am sure he’s got a lot he needs to do.”

I lowered my ears. I hadn’t wanted to leave. Otterscar turned towards me, looking at me with those ice blue eyes, possibly still deep in thought. I trotted out of his den. Featherfur recently moved into the nursery and Hollyriver went back to her duties.

Ravenpaw and Wolfpaw haven’t really changed. They hated everything Hawktail and Nightflight had them do, whether or not they were training or not. But Rainpaw and Stumpypaw were still the complete opposite. I sat by the nursery. I eventually saw Otterscar leave his den and headed towards Fawnstar’s den. I was left wondering what he was doing, and I wanted to sneak up there and hear what they were talking about but I knew better. From what she heard, Ravenpaw had to pick ticks from the elders and Wolfpaw had to gather fresh moss for the nursery and the elder’s den. I noted that Otterscar was in Fawnstar’s den for a long time. I perked my ears when I saw Otterscar and Fawnstar leave her den. I could barely hear what they were saying, but Fawnstar was agreeing with Otterscar. What was she agreeing with Otterscar?

Otterscar parted from Fawnstar. He slipped through his den and I haven’t seen much of him. A hunting patrol soon came back with more rabbits, squirrels, and shrews. But when I noticed that Wolfpaw and Ravenpaw were on the patrol, carrying a few rabbits, I knew I wasn’t going to eat whatever they catched – most likely what they were carrying. I didn’t pay that much attention after they placed the fresh kill in the pile. Chestnutkit and Mistykit were playing while Frostkit and I were just lying outside. Frostkit was only lying near me because she was tired, but…I was only lying down because I wasn’t up for it. Pebblefern was actually concerned until Otterscar stated that nothing wrong with me.

Pebblefern was still worried as I wasn’t active like my littermates and the other kits before me. My mind was way too much on Otterscar and medicine to really focus on anything else. I was almost four moons old. I already wanted to become an apprentice, but I nervous just thinking about it. Rainpaw and Stumpypaw, however, came to me after their apprentice duties to talk to me. Pebblefern seemed to be okay with them talking to me. They kept telling me about their training with Greyspot and Grasspetal. I was interested in their training routines, and their hated duties – which was finding ticks from Whiteflame, Thawberry, Dovespiral and Foxleaf, and collecting moss for fresh bedding. It has been a bit…Misty, like there was moisture in the air that had the moss a tad wet.

 

Ravenpaw and Wolfpaw stalked into the apprentices’ den and I haven’t heard or seen anything from them until their mentors, Hawktail and Nightflight, called to them. Nightflight wanted to teach them how to hunt, I think, because Rainpaw and Stumpypaw came back from training. Rainpaw looked for Greyspot, as if expecting him to call to her and Stumpypaw with Grasspetal for hunting session, but they were both sitting at the fresh kill pile, eating and talking. Rainpaw took a deep breath, as if relieved that they aren’t going out again.  


Rainpaw got up and went and offered to get Pebblefern and Spottedfleck a piece of fresh kill, which only Pebblefern was hungry enough for a small piece. She did the same for the elders, which I guessed none of them were hungry as Rainpaw brought back a single rabbit. “You want to share with us, Willowkit?” She asked.  


“Really? You sure…?” I tilted my head.  


“Yeah, I’m sure,” Rainpaw purred, taking the first bite. Stumpypaw took a bite after her and nuzzled the prey towards me and I took a bite. It was nice to have them around, I guess. But it’s always nice to have Frostkit pounce me here and there, Chestnutkit and Mistykit nagging me to play with them. I purr to myself. This isn’t going to be so bad…


	2. Chapter 2

One more moon! I kept bothering Otterscar, despise the attempts Pebblefern tried to shoo me out of his den, to the point where he stated that it was fine and that I was out of the way and that I wasn’t bothersome other than the frequent questions I would ask him. He didn’t seem to care about answering what I had. Otterscar, despite being stubborn, is surprisingly silent for a tom. He didn’t seem like the kind of tom for small talk. But whenever I wasn’t bothering Otterscar, I’d be talking to Rainpaw and Stumpypaw. Stumpypaw told us what happened with Wolfpaw, as he came into camp all soaked with mud. I kind of purred, as the mud went with Wolfpaw’s brown pelt.

“Serves him right,” Rainpaw muttered. “Ever since Pebblefern had her litter with Weaselfoot, he wanted nothing to do the half-Clan kits. Even Ravenpaw.”

“Weaselfoot is proving his loyalty to MeadowClan,” Stumpypaw stated. “Fawnstar can’t always have some warrior watch him every morning and night. Everyone would be exhausted. Oh, sorry Willowkit…”

“Weaselfoot wanted to join this Clan for a reason,” I muttered, half to myself. “He’s been here for a whole two seasons, right? Weaselfoot has to have proven himself worthy…”

“I hear he’s going to the Clans Meeting under the full moon,” Rainpaw claimed. “By that, I guess he’s proven himself worthy enough to be called a MeadowClan warrior. And the fact that he’s mates with Pebblefern and all, and that he’d do anything for her, I guess that’s a plus.”

“Right,” Stumptypaw chimed cheerfully. “I want to have kits once I’m a warrior.”

“Hah, like you’ll ever find a mate!”

Stumpypaw was the only one in this Clan that I could recall having little to no tail at all. No wonder he was named _Stumpy_ kit when he was born. He had light brown fur and pale yellow eyes. Compared to Rainpaw, she was a bluish-grey with a white muzzle and green eyes. A lot lighter than Frostkit’s, I’d say. Her eyes almost matched the grass they were laying on. Rainpaw was one of those cats that would get all the toms, if she was a warrior. _I wonder what her warrior name would be…_

“Says you,” Stumpypaw exclaimed. “I’ll show you!”

“Right,” Rainpaw rolled her eyes. “As a sister, I can easily say that there probably won’t be someone moons older than you.”

Stumpypaw and Rainpaw eventually went into a playful argument. They probably would have fought, if they weren’t already apprentices. In the corner of my eye, I noticed that Greyspot and Grasspetal were padding towards Fawnstar. She was sunning herself, disturbed by the two warriors. She seemed to grow concerned as she talked to the two warriors. I grew a little curious on their talk, but Rainpaw was tackled to the ground beside me.

“What are you, kits?” A silver she-cat asked. Icecloud, the same she-cat that was soon expecting to move to the nursery, was now standing over the two apprentices. “Least Mistykit, Frostkit, and Chestnutkit are acting like genuine kits.”

“Sorry, Icecloud,” Stumpypaw lowered his head. “We were just having an argument that got a little too physical.”

Icecloud was one of the strictest warriors, aside from Mapleflurry. Her last apprentice was Smokemist, who unfortunately joined HollowClan not long after I was born, from what I heard. She was currently mentoring Fernpaw, one of the older apprentices that I haven’t even noticed around the Clan. Most likely because she spent most of her time, if not training with Icecloud, in the Apprentices’ Den. There were new kits that were born in the Clan as well, Featherkit, Cloudkit, and Silverkit. Cloudkit and Silverkit were born to Dustdream and Hazelnight, while Featherkit was born to Owlpond. No one knew exactly who Featherkit’s father was, and Owlpond didn’t take a mate, as far as everyone in the Clan knew about. It was unclear, and some speculated that she may have been seeing a tom from another Clan, or a loner, or even a kittypet. Ferretpaw was one also one of those apprentices I’ve seen around, but she was apprenticed four moons before we were born.

“I hope that it doesn’t happen again,” Icecloud scolded, eyes narrowed. Her eyes were an icy blue color, almost glazed over as if she was blind which she was often time mistaken as blind. I felt a little intimated by her, due to how she was. Cold, stern, stone-hearted, and sometimes harsh. She wasn’t as bad as Hollyriver, though, which some of us preferred to deal with her than Hollyriver.

Icecloud padded off after Stumpypaw and Rainpaw were called by Grasspetal and Greyspot, as a group of cats were gathering by the camp entrance. I assumed a border patrol, but it turned out to be a hunting patrol. Even Fernpaw, a silver-and-white tabby she-cat who was almost as large as Fawnstar, trotted out of the den when Dustdream called to her. Apparently, Icecloud was okay with it despite not being in the patrol. I think it was because she might be expecting sooner than later. The other cats that were on the patrol were Hawktail, Fernpaw’s father, Mothsong and Weaselfoot.

Rainpaw and Stumpypaw both padded to their mentors. I was left in front of the nursery while my brother and sisters play. Though it does seem fun to pounce at each other and try to get each other’s tails, I just wasn’t very interested. Frostkit was a little stronger than Mistykit, and Chestnutkit was a little bigger than all of us. Maybe I was a little intimidated on how strong Chestnutkit was, and we’re still kits! But, the more that I think about it, it was a little more fun watching them than it was to join in their little games. I was known to be the more cautious one, whether or not it was with my own littermates.

Otterscar padded out from his den and left through the same entrance that the hunting patrol went through not long ago. I wondered what he needed to stock up on. I was so interested in this path this he has chosen, that it was something that I wanted to get my own paws into the same path. I even noticed that he was seemingly older by each day. I wasn’t even sure what is in store for any of my littermates. Frostkit and Chestnutkit would probably be the best warriors or hunters, but maybe one of them might end as deputy?

Mistykit brought me out of my own thoughts when she was tossed in my direction. Frostkit and Chestnutkit padded towards us, worry in their eyes. “We’re sorry, Willowkit!” Frostkit lowered her ears. “You’re not hurt, are you?”

Mistykit got back to her paws, and so did I, shaking off whatever grass what on our pelts. “I’m fine,” I purred. I was startled, and a little hurt, but I was fine. It wasn’t like Mistykit was that heavy.

“You sure…?” Chestnutkit tilted his head. Pebblefern was with Spottedfleck, whom were both sunny with Thawberry and Foxleaf. Dovespiral and Whiteflame were presumably asleep, or chatting in the den.

“I’m fine. Really.”

“You are so _weak_ ,” Frostkit purred. “I wouldn’t be surprised if you were apprenticed to that old flea, Otterscar.”

I really was. Though, I wouldn’t be surprised. I know Frostkit jokes about it all the time, as I am smaller and weaker than my littermates, though whenever I do play, I usually tend to play with Mistykit. Frostkit and Chestnutkit went back to playing while Mistykit laid beside me when they knew I was okay and not hurt. She always felt a little bad whenever they were a little rough, one of the reasons why I hadn’t wanted to play with them. We just watched them play, Mistykit was purring softly. I guess she got over the fact that she was just thrown in my direction. Pebblefern was with Spottedfleck were out sunning themselves, and were out for some time now.

It wasn’t long till the patrol came back. They came back with a couple of rabbits and other small rodents. Fernpaw was talking to Rainpaw and Stumpypaw after they dropped their prey. Apparently Fernpaw, Rainpaw, and Stumpypaw were to do some training later. Eagleclaw had greeted them when they came back. He was this dark brown, broad-shouldered, tabby tom with the copper eyes. He looked so rugged and old, but Eagleclaw was still young. He trained Hawktail and Mothsong as far as I heard, but I don’t know if it was true. I wasn’t even sure if Fawnstar trained Eagleclaw before she became leader.

I just watched them. Rainpaw and Stumpypaw purred with Fernpaw. Rainpaw glanced over her shoulders to make sure none of the warriors heard what she was about to say, eventually catching eyes with me briefly. Rainpaw blinked slowly, then went back to Fernpaw and whispered into her ear. Fernpaw and Stumpypaw purred at whatever Rainpaw said. I wanted to pad up to them and join their talks, but Pebblefern, Spottedfleck, Thawberry, and Foxleaf came back from their time sunning.

“…And that’s when Featherlight and Cloudsun fought HollowClan,” Thawberry was saying. He was saying about his two daughters. Featherlight and Cloudsun were good warriors in MeadowClan, but both died during the battle against HollowClan. I heard the story so many times from Thawberry that it was just burned into my mind. No matter how many times Willowkit asked for a new story, it would always ended up back to Featherlight and Cloudsun. Foxleaf and Dovespiral always had more interesting stories of when they were kits, apprentices wad warriors. Foxleaf never had a mate or had kits, but he once did fall in love with a she-cat from PondClan. Dovespiral had a mate named Doedream but he passed away from an unknown illness. They had one kit together named Cedarfrost, again passed away in battle against ForestClan. Whiteflame had a mate named Palefoot and had two kits with him.

I could go on, but my head began to pound whenever I thought about all of it. Pebblefern parted from the little group, probably had enough of Thawberry. Spottedfleck padded with the two elder toms back to the Elders’ Den, nodding and purring. Pebblefern walked back to the nursery and Mistkit followed her inside. Mistykit liked being with Pebblefern whenever nothing good was happening.

My eyes went back to Rainpaw and Stumpypaw, whom were now padding over with Fernpaw, still chatting up a storm. I wasn’t sure if they were going to the Apprentices’ Den or over to where I was, though I doubted. Rainpaw was talking about when Wolfpaw got mud in his fur. In fact, I haven’t seen either one of them in so long; I think they were hiding in the Apprentices’ Den, avoiding their duties. If I was correct, Hawktail and Nightflight are just about to get their tails moving any moment now. I don’t know if I really mean any bad thoughts against them or not, but I thought so many. Other than their bad attitudes, nothing I could really say was _terrible_ about them. They acted so much like their mother, uptight and entitled brats, which sometimes I wondered who their father was. It was bad enough that they seemed to argue who was going to be the new leader and who’ll be the new deputy after Fawnstar and Eagleclaw. It was only a matter of time before their dreams won’t be met, which only made me purr in amusement. Half-Clan or not, those two best know what coming to them. Sooner or later…

***

Fawnstar had called the Clan for a ceremony. Pebblefern was cleaning all of our pelts and Weaselfoot was somewhere in the pelts. We waited patiently for a moon. Fernpaw was held back a few moons because of her injures during training that badly injured her back leg. It seems to be fine now and she was finally getting her warrior name. It was also noted the Fernpaw’s father that he wanted her to get her warrior name with Rainapw and Stumpypaw because of how close they were. Ravenpaw and Wolfpaw are held back because of how stubborn they’ve been. Most likely they’ll be held back for a few moons in they don’t get their heads into their duties and training.

Fawnstar started with Rainpaw, Stumpypaw, and Fernpaw. I heard Fawnstar go through the ceremony of giving them their warrior names. In the corner of my eye, I could see Otterscar sitting in front of his den. My attention went back to the three apprentices. Rainpaw got her new name of Rainfeather, Stumpypaw with his new name of Stumpyshade, and Fernpaw with her new name as Fernblossom.

I could hear Wolfpaw and Ravenpaw complain that they weren’t getting their new names with the rest, since they gotten their apprentice names with Stumpyshade and Rainfeather. Fawnstar paid no attention to them and called me and my littermates up. While I made my way up behind Mistykit, I could hear Dustdream mutter something to his mate, Hazelnight, about something. I assume their kits, Cloudkit and Silverkit, and their ideas of who’ll be mentored to. I plopped myself next to Mistykit as Fawnstar start the apprentice ceremony with the four of us. Frostkit was so antsy to get apprenticed that she couldn’t sit still.

One by one it went. Frostkit – now Frostpaw – was apprenticed to Rockfur, one of the older toms in the Clan, Chestnutkit – now Chestnutpaw – was apprenticed to Mapleflurry, one of the soon to be retired warriors, and Mistykit – now Mistypaw – was apprenticed to Amberstream, one of the youngest warriors. All of their mentors had taken their spots next to them as I took a deep breath when Fawnstar got to me. Chestnutpaw, Frostpaw, and Mistypaw all got warrior mentors and I would most likely follow suit. I got the same vow as my littermates, said my _I do_ ’s, and held my breath. Who was I going to get? Hazelwhisper? Shadefall? Nightberry? Or even Goldenbriar? They all haven’t gotten apprentices yet, so maybe…

…Just maybe…

“…Otterscar,” Fawnstar finished, as Otterscar padded up to us. _Otterscar?_

I heard some murmur, some gasping. Otterscar hasn’t had an apprentice since his last one, and who knows what happened them. In fact, I barely heard anything about his previous apprentice, like at all. I don’t even know what their name would have been, their cause of death, what they would have looked like, or whether it was a tom or a she-cat. Frostpaw snickered, knowing full well that her sister was now training to be a medicine cat instead of a warrior. Maybe it was my high interest that made him think I wanted to be a medicine cat without even considering asking me.

Fawnstar called the meeting adjourned and every cat slowly went back to their duties. Frostpaw, Chestnutpaw, and Mistypaw all went with their mentors to explore the territory, while Otterscar nudged me to the den. “We will explore tomorrow,” assured Otterscar. “It’ll be annoying to be out while your littermates and their mentors are exploring the territory already.”

Chestnutpaw and Frostpaw were pretty rowdy to begin with, and Mistypaw was probably going to be the calmer one during the whole exploration. As we padded inside the den I’d be sleeping in, I noticed that there was a nest close to Otterscar’s, freshly made from the looks of it. His, though freshly made itself, already looked like as if it needed to be changed. “You’ll be sleeping in here instead of the Apprentices’ Den,” he called over his shoulder, though I already assumed that it be true. I padded beside him, due to the fact that I already knew a lot of the herbs already from my pestering him about them as a kit, and he went ahead and explained what each actually does.

I noted that we had a few new berries – Deadly Nightshades and Deathberries. I could smell a hint of HollowClan and ForestClan mingling from them, I assumed from their medicine cats? There were only a few – very little of them, in fact – so I assumed he had little plan to use them. I was assured that it was for if we couldn’t cure or save a cat from any illness or injury and would put them out of their misery without any suffering, which wouldn’t be for a long time.

My ear twitched as I heard the rustling from the entrance of the den. “Not going to take Willowpaw to explore the territory, Otterscar?” Weaselfoor purred.

“I’ll take her tomorrow,” Otterscar turned his head slightly over his shoulder. “Rockfur is leading the little patrol of misfits, along with Amberstream and Mapleflurry.”

“Misfits?” Weaselfoor tilted his head at him, and I began to purr. Weaselfoot gave a light purr, possibly hoping for him to respond. Otterscar went back to check exactly what needed to be stocked up, not even acknowledging Weaselfoot. No one was in the den that really needed help, other than Weaselfoot who was perfectly fine. Weaselfoot took a glance at me, and I titled my head and I wasn’t sure how to respond to him. Weaselfoot was only in visiting for a few moments before leaving without another word. He was happy for me, giving a purr before he left.

Now, I was training with Otterscar to become the next Medicine Cat.


End file.
